Co-opt the Resistance to Sell You Soda
April 4, 2017 2:05 PM   Subscribe

This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- frimble



 
The Revolution™ will be advertised.
posted by Going To Maine at 2:19 PM on April 4, 2017 [17 favorites]


These must be the paid protesters I've been hearing about!
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 2:23 PM on April 4, 2017 [46 favorites]


Hey, I'm all for punching Nazis in the face, but tricking a riot cop into drinking a Pepsi??
That is a measure of cruelty that I can't in good conscience condone.
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:25 PM on April 4, 2017 [19 favorites]


I'm reminded intensely of Mad Men's final scene.
posted by tobascodagama at 2:31 PM on April 4, 2017


Except that this is actually worse and more offensive, so good job.
posted by tobascodagama at 2:31 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


Pepsi Blew (it) post?
posted by calgirl at 2:37 PM on April 4, 2017 [4 favorites]


You got me to: watch video, an ad, a Kardashian family member. Your trolling ability is impressive. It gave me the feels, where the feeling is cynicism.
posted by theora55 at 2:38 PM on April 4, 2017 [16 favorites]


vaporwave is dead
posted by oceanjesse at 2:42 PM on April 4, 2017 [6 favorites]


If there's one thing I know about Dr Pepper, besides that it refreshes after a long day at work,is that they would never resort to such tactics.
posted by drezdn at 2:43 PM on April 4, 2017 [8 favorites]


Something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Pibb?
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:46 PM on April 4, 2017 [29 favorites]


It reminded of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, only with less skull-ripping, kidney blows, and tear gas. We drank vitriol then, and we liked it!
posted by Chitownfats at 2:49 PM on April 4, 2017 [2 favorites]


The Revolution™ will be advertised

Is that you, KRS One?

(If you listen closely, you can hear Gil Scott-Heron rolling in his grave.)
posted by Sys Rq at 2:54 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


I'd love to see an AdBusters-type parody of this, where instead of vague protest signs, they were real signs for Black Lives Matter, DAPL, Women's March, Science March, anti-Muslim travel ban, against the thuggish deportation of brown people, and general RESIST signs. The Jenner character would still hold a soda, but this could be called SNAFU Classic, but instead of handing it to a handsome cop, she'd drop it down the barrel of a bean bag cannon or even a full-blown tank, where the para-military police forces aren't just idly standing there with their hands clasped, but with weapons drawn and pointed at the peaceful protesters, and probably some angry dogs for good measure.

The soda, once dropped down the cannon barrel, would get fired out over the crowd. It would then explode into a wash of cartoon 70s colors, where everyone becomes hippy-dippy love children, singing kumbaya and such, dancing around with the now peaceful police. Then this wash slides down, and it reveals the true image of the crowd being attacked with tear gas, batons and dogs loose.

Then we get the logo, emblazoned on the screen, with a classic male announcer TV voice-over, saying: SNAFU Classic -- "New Look, Same Old Shit!" as the screaming and chaos continues in the background.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:56 PM on April 4, 2017 [61 favorites]


Wow, I thought I was past the point where advertising could infuriate me, but I'm never getting anywhere near a Pepsi again. This makes "I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke" or whatever look deep.
posted by zerolives at 3:21 PM on April 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


So now are people going to believe that multinational corporations who are okay with multiculturalism because it allows them access to more customers and/or labor pools, are co-opting the language and trappings of protest movements in order to enrich their bottom line?
posted by Apocryphon at 3:23 PM on April 4, 2017 [8 favorites]


Your assignment in this week's media studies class is to compare and contrast the above linked Pepsi ad with Nike's effort from earlier in the year.
posted by danhon at 3:33 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


Say what you will about the mean old Oscar-stealer, but this bullshit wouldn't have happened on Joan Crawford's watch.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:47 PM on April 4, 2017 [6 favorites]


I swear to God, I read a near-future scifi story online that posited this exact thing, right down to it being Trump that resigned. Anyone familiar with what I'm thinking of?

The Revolution, Brought to you by Nike?

Three weeks, five days, and nineteen hours after Nike dropped that first video starring Beyoncé, the president went on live television. He was sweating and gray-skinned; he looked like he hadn’t slept even a moment since the campaign had begun. Maybe not even since the election.

“I’ll get to the point,” he said. “I resign. It’s what you want so it’s what you get, right? You people don’t deserve me anyway. I’m the best president, the smartest president, but you aren’t good enough for me. You don’t deserve me anyway. I quit.”

posted by zabuni at 4:07 PM on April 4, 2017 [9 favorites]


I remember it from Tim Maughan's twitter feed. Seemed really annoyed by the piece at the time. I almost think he wrote this story in response.
posted by zabuni at 4:10 PM on April 4, 2017 [2 favorites]


Late capitalism is so, so stupid.
posted by Lyme Drop at 4:18 PM on April 4, 2017 [10 favorites]


More like Pokémon Get Outta Here, amirite
posted by Apocryphon at 4:25 PM on April 4, 2017 [2 favorites]


I'm tired of living in this post-sense world.
posted by nubs at 4:28 PM on April 4, 2017 [5 favorites]


Look what it did for Apple.
posted by vicusofrecirculation at 4:31 PM on April 4, 2017


Apple had the courage to throw a hammer at Big Brother, not buy him a soda.
posted by nubs at 4:35 PM on April 4, 2017 [11 favorites]


Why do I feel like I've seen this ad pitch before?
posted by JoeZydeco at 4:51 PM on April 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


vaporwave is dead

Just enjoy yourself
posted by Apocryphon at 4:54 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


I just .. ::facepalm::
posted by Faintdreams at 5:05 PM on April 4, 2017


Just one pepsi... and she wouldn't give it to me.
posted by Catblack at 5:22 PM on April 4, 2017 [12 favorites]


This commercial is a white savior trope that hijacks the messages actual but varied world wide protests are trying make... in order to sell Pepsi. So as a white ally, some recommended reading should you join a protest.
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 6:11 PM on April 4, 2017 [4 favorites]


I'm not helping am I?
posted by Fizz at 6:30 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


Also, I should have been the one to post this.
posted by Fizz at 6:32 PM on April 4, 2017 [9 favorites]


The ad will remain unwatched by me, but I find it troubling that news outlets are emphasizing Kendall Jenner rather than Pepsi.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 6:37 PM on April 4, 2017 [2 favorites]


Pepsi Blue Lives Matter?
posted by peeedro at 6:38 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]




Makes me long for the post-modern nihilism of OK Soda.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:17 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


I much prefer this version of the Pepsi ad sountracked by @timheidecker

I felt childish for laughing at that, but I still laughed.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:20 PM on April 4, 2017


@HelloCullen: Faygo ad just 9 minutes of burning cop car
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:54 PM on April 4, 2017 [15 favorites]


I like to laugh when the brands do things/
posted by fleacircus at 8:31 PM on April 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


I saw a great parody version on FB, it showed the UC Davis cops pepper-spaying the students, only the can the cops were holding is a Pepsi can.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 9:27 PM on April 4, 2017 [3 favorites]


This is the best ad for Coca-Cola ever.
posted by adept256 at 2:01 AM on April 5, 2017 [7 favorites]


THIS AD MADE ME SO ANGRY! She didn't help organize this march OR EVEN KNOW IT WAS HAPPENING AHEAD OF TIME and now she's LEADING IT? And all the people who were there first are like "fist bump Kendall Jenner, not only are you coöpting our movement for attention but we're super, super glad you're doing it"? And that photographer in the hijab who's like "oh yeah this is my inspiration, not an actual fucking movement but some privileged white girl making friends with the cops in a way a person of color at a protest would almost certainly, at a minimum have trouble doing"? WHAT THE FUCKING HELL? It's made clear she's initially just, like, curious about the march and then she's the fucking face of it? What about the organizers who worked really hard to pull this thing together? Why don't they get everyone cheering for them? Everything about this ad was so gross. Oh my God it was so yucky and horrifying.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:12 AM on April 5, 2017 [21 favorites]


Pitch: A period ad where the Juicy Fruit gang tries to attend an Anti-Nuclear March in DC, but spends the day waterskiing in the Potomac.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:00 AM on April 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


I fucking hate this and her and Pepsi and everything
posted by knownassociate at 6:42 AM on April 5, 2017 [1 favorite]




A quick round-up of top news stories about this, FWIW:

Kendall Jenner's Pepsi ad sparks backlash (CNN Money)
After pumping up the excitement for her new role as a Pepsi spokesperson, the model unveiled her debut ad on Tuesday and quickly became the target of backlash, as did the soda company.
...
The ad was quickly accused of appropriating the Black Lives Matter movement and using social justice to sell soda.

The imagery was also thought by some to be far too similar to photos of Ieshia Evans, a protester who was detained by law enforcement while protesting in Baton Rouge following the shooting death of Alton Sterling at the hands of police.
Nivea pulls 'white is purity' ad after outcry (CNN Money's current top trending story - no additional comment needed)

Pepsi Ad With Kendall Jenner Echoes Black Lives Matter, Sparks Anger (NBC News)
If the Black Lives Matter movement were led by a 21-year-old white supermodel armed with a can of fizzy soda, then maybe everyone would just get along.
Zing! That's how you open up an article on this crap.

Pepsi faces backlash for new protest ad starring Kendall Jenner (ABC News) - after a bunch of fluff and comments from Twitter, there's this interesting bit:
The protest ad likely came from a desire by Pepsi to be more relevant with a younger demographic, according to Larry Hackett, an entertainment expert and a former editor-in-chief of People magazine.

"You can imagine the meeting where Pepsi was saying, ‘We need to be more relevant. Young people aren’t drinking enough soda. They’re drinking pomegranate juice and sports drinks. Let’s get relevant,'" Hackett said today on "Good Morning America." "So people went back and they looked at their focus group interviews and they looked at their bar graphs about the various metrics of what young people want."

He continued, "It was created in some Frankenstein lab of advertising and this is what you ended up with. What Pepsi wanted was relevance and association with young people. They’re now going to become the laughingstock of young people."

Pepsi defended the ad by saying it reflects people from different walks of life coming together in the spirit of harmony.

Hackett predicts the backlash will not hurt Jenner as the face of the soda company, but will be a warning for marketers.

"She’s just in the commercial. This isn’t her fault," Hackett said of Jenner. "I think it’s going to be a cautionary tale for a lot of other marketers who have to be very careful about how they try to sell things."
Yes, be careful. Or just be smart and ask for public input from people who self-identify with a movement or group. You'd think that an ad designed by committee could include a committee member or three who represents the groups you're looking to target and/or appropriate.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:31 AM on April 5, 2017 [6 favorites]


@RonanFarrow: The inoffensive generic protest signs in Pepsi's woke Kendall Jenner ad are hilarious.
posted by Existential Dread at 8:12 AM on April 5, 2017 [4 favorites]


I've been hearing about this apparently idiotic ad for days, came real close to clicking through and actually watching it, then thought, You know what? Not necessary.
posted by gottabefunky at 8:17 AM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


@RonanFarrow: The inoffensive generic protest signs in Pepsi's woke Kendall Jenner ad are hilarious.

I can't decide which is my favorite! Right now it's a toss-up between the one that just reads "voice" and the one that looks like this:

JoTin
    he
conversation .
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:13 AM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


Fuck Pepsi.

"Give me some substance."
posted by Catblack at 9:33 AM on April 5, 2017


Somewhere in America, a cop is deeply offended by the suggestion that he could be bribed away from brutality with a mere Pepsi.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:26 AM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


Holy shit. I've been seeing people rip on this for the past 24 hours but finally just watched it and it's even worse than I imagined. So much worse.

Also saw a hilarious hot take about how this Pepsi commercial represents everything that's wrong with Millennials. Because apparently major ad campaigns for the best-known brands across the globe are created and approved by 33-year-olds.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 10:29 AM on April 5, 2017 [5 favorites]


Pepsi Pulls Ad Accused of Trivializing Black Lives Matter

Pepsi also apologized on Wednesday to Ms. Jenner, a daughter of the television personalities Kris and Caitlin Jenner, and a half sister to Kim, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian.
posted by ghharr at 10:54 AM on April 5, 2017 [3 favorites]


JoTin
he
conversation .


If this was all I saw from the ad it would be all the evidence I needed that it was put together by marketing execs with no connection to the real world as they are the only ones in history to have ever uttered this catchphrase.
posted by TwoWordReview at 11:19 AM on April 5, 2017 [4 favorites]


The Absolut pillow fight riot is the best commercial riot.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:13 PM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


But it works perfectly for Mentos.
posted by Mchelly at 1:48 PM on April 5, 2017 [9 favorites]


But it works perfectly for Mentos.

This applies to all YouTube videos.
posted by Fizz at 2:17 PM on April 5, 2017 [4 favorites]


Well, yeah, but I was also confused that she somehow changed her clothes between the sidewalk and the street.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 2:56 PM on April 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


Well, yeah, but I was also confused that she somehow changed her clothes between the sidewalk and the street.

You cannot participate in a revolution without the appropriate attire. Duh.
posted by Fizz at 3:08 PM on April 5, 2017


Bernice King on Twitter: If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi.
posted by obfuscation at 3:15 PM on April 5, 2017 [9 favorites]


Well, yeah, but I was also confused that she somehow changed her clothes between the sidewalk and the street.

Oh, now that's like Tom Cruise's tooth. Also her makeup and jewelry change. And she's got shades. Perhaps this is one of those "visions of the mind" things? She's really just standing in the doorway.

Also she hands her blonde wig to a black lady who is like "the fuck?" which I think sums it up perfectly.

Nice cameo by Jake Gyllenhaal though.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 4:01 PM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


The YT link died, so I found an apparently longer version here. Simply amazing.
posted by XtinaS at 4:06 PM on April 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


Also her makeup and jewelry change. And she's got shades. Perhaps this is one of those "visions of the mind" things? She's really just standing in the doorway.

Nah, it was a costume change, like any superhero - she's Captain Co-opt. She saw those protestors out in the street and changed into her "co-opt the movement" costume and went out to make everyone safe to consume mass quantities and not have to think or engage.

Not the hero we need, etc, etc.
posted by nubs at 4:10 PM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


This the worst, but the Mentos version slays.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 5:09 PM on April 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


THIS AD MADE ME SO ANGRY! She didn't help organize this march OR EVEN KNOW IT WAS HAPPENING AHEAD OF TIME and now she's LEADING IT? And all the people who were there first are like "fist bump Kendall Jenner, not only are you coöpting our movement for attention but we're super, super glad you're doing it"? And that photographer in the hijab who's like "oh yeah this is my inspiration, not an actual fucking movement but some privileged white girl making friends with the cops in a way a person of color at a protest would almost certainly, at a minimum have trouble doing"? WHAT THE FUCKING HELL? It's made clear she's initially just, like, curious about the march and then she's the fucking face of it? What about the organizers who worked really hard to pull this thing together? Why don't they get everyone cheering for them? Everything about this ad was so gross. Oh my God it was so yucky and horrifying.
Mrs. Pterodactyl has joined the conversation.
posted by mazola at 11:03 PM on April 5, 2017 [7 favorites]


ghharr: Pepsi Pulls Ad Accused of Trivializing Black Lives Matter

After one day! Wow, that's some quick turn-around.
“Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark and apologize,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday. “We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are pulling the content and halting any further rollout.”
And a solid apology. But I'm confused why the apologized to Kendall, and the article doesn't elaborate, so I'm imagining it went something like "hey, sorry we paid you a ridiculous sum of money, which you accepted, to play the role of Graceful White Savior in the middle of a daytime television version of a protest, and we're sorry if people now know you because of this ad."

She accepted the role, and I imagine she was paid well for her time. I hope they apologized to all the actors and extras, for including them in a crass commercialization of BLM.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:11 AM on April 7, 2017 [4 favorites]


Fuck you and them pepsi's
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:38 PM on April 7, 2017


Saturday Night Live had a sharp parody of the ad last night. A view of what it might have felt like on the set.
posted by Nelson at 7:31 AM on April 9, 2017 [2 favorites]


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